Chapter 6

  Crystal Palace

  When they said the Empress would be joining them, Dan had imagined a royal family dinner—something warm and familial, like the stories Casca once told him.

  But the scene before him, as a mere guest seated among the heirs of House Ophilis…

  This wasn’t dinner.

  This was a tribunal.

  The atmosphere was thick with pressure. A long banquet table stretched between them. On one side sat Nora, Dan, and Zeedee. Opposite them sat Nora’s younger siblings—a towering younger brother, nearly 188 cm tall, and a younger sister at around 170 cm. Both bore a striking resemblance to Nora in skin tone and features.

  And at the head of the table, the largest seat of all remained vacant…

  Dan could feel it clearly—he was the shortest person here, and it weighed on him psychologically, like being robbed of presence.

  The table was elegantly set with extravagant dishes, perfectly prepared and beautifully arranged. The cutlery and tableware exuded refinement.

  But no one touched anything.

  Everyone sat stiff as statues, backs straight, eyes forward like they were in a military drill. The royal heirs stared ahead, unmoving.

  Dan glanced toward the attendants. Not a single one shifted—frozen in place.

  He looked at Zeedee. She met his eyes and gave him a subtle signal. She was just as uncomfortable.

  Then to Nora… who, along with her siblings, seemed to act like this was all perfectly normal.

  At that moment, Glasner opened the door—and everyone rose instantly.

  !

  Dan and Zeedee scrambled to stand up just in time.

  All stood tall and bowed in unison.

  The Empress of Snowhaven had arrived.

  Empress Ophilis the Fourteenth.

  From Dan’s observation, she looked younger than he had imagined. Not quite an aunt, but not young enough to be called a sister either—somewhere in between. "Aunt" was probably the best word.

  Her white hair was cut short in a chic, elegant style. This woman radiated discipline, gravity, and unmistakable authority. Stern—possibly terrifying.

  It suddenly made sense why Nora always tensed up whenever she mentioned her mother.

  She likely retained her youth thanks to her Cryomancer blood—cold slowed cellular aging, after all.

  The air itself seemed to grow heavier in her presence.

  And yet… she was stunning. Nora looked almost like a mirror image of her.

  Empress Ophilis XIV—she looked only slightly older than she had ten years ago.

  Fury had met her once—ten years ago, during the signing of the peace accord. It was a fleeting moment. His father had been the one to speak with her, and even then, it was through an interpreter, in the presence of all the realm’s leaders.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Still, Fury respected the Empress deeply. She was a masterful ruler of Snowhaven, and her military was considered one of the most formidable—on par with the forces of Luminus.

  “Greetings, Mother!” the children chorused in unison, bowing once more.

  The Empress gave a subtle wave, and they all returned to their seats only once she had taken hers.

  Dan did whatever Nora did—better safe than sorry.

  And of course… the Empress’s gaze landed on him and Zeedee.

  “Mother, this is Dan and Zeedee. They’re my classmates from Artheris.”

  Nora gestured toward them. Dan and Zeedee bowed politely, mimicking Nora’s formality.

  “You’re from Zentinel, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Dan answered.

  “Zentinel shares a northern border with us. Those from that region are usually more accustomed to the cold… But judging by your complexion, you must be from the south?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “I’m glad you made it out safely today. Nora tells me you both helped in fighting off those vile rebels?”

  Dan and Zeedee slowly turned toward Nora, who was sweating slightly and closing her eyes like she was about to evaporate.

  Noraaaa!

  “We did what little we could, given we’re still students, Your Majesty. Haha…”

  “I apologize that you had to endure such a traumatic experience here. As the nation’s ruler, I find it shameful.”

  “Please—no need for apologies, Your Majesty!”

  Dan waved his hands hurriedly.

  “Snowhaven has nearly finished rooting out the last of the resistance. It seems you were simply unfortunate enough to arrive during their final strike.”

  “You speak as if you’re quite familiar with matters of state.”

  Well… he kinda was.

  “I wouldn’t presume, Your Majesty.”

  “Feel free to make yourselves comfortable during your stay here. You’ll be with us for the next two weeks.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” they both said.

  “Now then, let’s eat.”

  The Empress picked up her spoon—and only then did everyone else follow suit. The attendants began to move again at last.

  Dinner proceeded in funereal silence. Only the faint clinking of cutlery could be heard. Dan didn’t even dare cut his steak in case the blade scratched the plate too loudly.

  And then… it began.

  “How goes your training?”

  Scrape.

  Dan: “?!”

  From across the table, the youngest daughter of the Ophilis line stood.

  Napoli.

  “My training over the past half-year has gone smoothly. I’ve successfully achieved Level-4 ice magic, just as you scheduled, Mother.”

  “Show me.”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  She summoned ice magic—Level-6, by Dan’s reckoning. Shards of frost bloomed from her hand. But it was clear she was struggling with the strain—her face tight with pain and effort. Still, she powered through to completion.

  “You’re still unstable.”

  “Forgive me, Mother!”

  “Train harder. You’re not ready.”

  Napoli sat down, her face dark with shame. But before the tension had time to settle, the middle child, Prince Noel, stood up.

  His personal guard approached with a wooden case.

  Noel took something from inside—a massive fang—and presented it to the Empress.

  “Mother, I have completed the hunting trial assigned by my instructor. This is proof—an ice saber-tooth tiger fang.”

  The air around the Empress seemed to relax—at least, Dan thought so. Or maybe it was just his imagination. But the tension definitely eased.

  This wasn’t a small feline—it was a full-grown saber-tooth, easily over two meters long. A single bite could kill a man. You didn’t hunt one of those without serious skill.

  Nora must’ve done this trial too… Under 18, sent to hunt death machines.

  Casca said growing up here was brutal. Dan agreed. This wasn’t just "tough"—this was Snowhaven brutal.

  And still… not a word of praise from the Empress.

  She nodded once. That was it. A gesture, and Noel sat down. The fang was taken away.

  Next up—no prizes for guessing.

  “For my first academic term at Artheris, these are my grades, Mother.”

  Nora pulled out her report card.

  “!”

  Dan’s eyes went wide.

  He hadn’t even gotten his yet! Where the hell did Nora get hers?

  Then again… maybe the institution gave royalty early access. Wouldn’t be surprising.

  Her grades? Straight A+.

  Every. Single. Subject.

  Not a single flaw. Just like she’d planned from day one.

  But at what cost? The breakdowns, the nights she practically slit her own throat just to keep up?

  And this woman—her mother—would never know what those little letters meant.

  What shocked Dan most was…

  As Nora presented her results like a soldier reporting to her commander, Dan couldn’t detect even the faintest trace of pride in her mother’s eyes.

  No warmth. No approval. No disdain either. Just… nothing.

  “And that concludes my progress at the institute, Mother…”

  Nora’s voice trembled in a low tone. And throughout all of it, not one of the three children ever looked their mother in the eyes.

  Because they were afraid.

  And rightfully so.

  All Nora got for her entire mountain of effort… was a single, emotionless:

  “Hm.”

  Then she sat down and began eating silently.

  The Empress spoke again—this time giving an order.

  “Prepare for your ceremony, Nora. We’ll finalize it within the next two weeks.”

  “…Yes, Mother…”

  Dan glanced left and right.

  “Um… ceremony?”

  Nora turned to him, her expression dark.

  “…My engagement ceremony.”

  “!”